Missing puppy truck found in Texas

Tuesday

The Hope City Animal Control truck, believed to have been stolen May 8, was found outside of Queen City, Texas, on Friday, according to the Hope Police Department.

The puppy truck mystery has been solved.

The Hope City Animal Control truck, believed to have been stolen May 8, was found outside of Queen City, Texas, on Friday, according to the Hope Police Department.

According to HPD Lt. Kim Tomlin, it was recovered Friday off a highline trail in the woods.

The location was in a rural area near Wright Patman Lake in Cass County, according to police information.

The suspect, whom neither Tomlin nor Cass County authorities would name, is from Queen City, Texas, and is in custody on other charges there, Tomlin said.

Tomlin said he will be charged with theft of property and commercial burglary in Hempstead County once he is extradited from Texas.

The truck was found with assistance from Bowie County and Cass County sheriff's offices, and the Texas Department of Public Safety, she said.

“There is hood damage, the windshield is broken, and there is damage to the inside of the truck where the windows were down, but the vehicle was driveable from the Queen City area and it is here now,” Tomlin said.

She said the equipment inside the truck was intact.

“Everything that was in the truck is still there, including the tranquilizer gun, tranquilizer drugs, poles, radios and cell phone,” she said.

City of Hope officials had expressed public concern that the tranquilizer gun and drugs, particularly, be recovered because of the danger they posed to an inexperienced or unsuspecting user.

The suspect is expected to be returned to Hempstead County and charged here later today, she said.

The truck was stolen from the Hope Public Works Department compound, where it is typically stored during nighttime hours. The theft was discovered May 9. City animal control personnel who discovered the theft reported that a gate on the west side of the compound had been smashed through, according to police reports.

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